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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · fan · present · stem · bat · stick · can · mine

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — a gift
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com